New Year Q&A with Sir Oliver Dowden CBE MP
From protecting the green belt to visiting local schools and charities, Sir Oliver Dowden CBE, MP for Hertsmere, reflects on his highlights from 2025 and looks ahead to the exciting plans he has in store for 2026.
What have you learned from 2025 that you’re bringing into 2026?
2025 has been another eventful and challenging year. It has shown just how much we can achieve when we work closely with local residents and community groups. From protecting our green belt to supporting local businesses and tackling everyday concerns, the year has
reinforced the importance of engaging with residents and ensuring their voices are heard.
What was your biggest highlight of the past year?
Looking back on the year, I’m especially proud of being able to strengthen my work on
behalf of local residents, speaking more often in the Chamber, raising the issues that matter to our community, and ensuring their concerns are clearly heard. I’ve also greatly valued
visiting more of our schools, charities, and local businesses, seeing firsthand the remarkable work being done across the constituency, including in Bushey.
Come the end of this year, what will you hope to have achieved?
By the end of this year, I hope to have made meaningful progress in addressing the parking charges at Kemp Place Car Park. Local businesses have made it clear that these charges are
having a real and damaging impact on footfall and turnover, and that is simply not acceptable.
I want to see the council reconsider the changes they introduced last year and take seriously the concerns raised by both residents and business owners. My goal is to ensure that the
voices of our local community are heard and that practical steps are taken to support the High Street, rather than hinder it. I will continue campaigning on this issue until we see a fairer
outcome.
What are you most excited about going into the new year?
Now that I am on the backbenches, I have more time to serve the good people of Hertsmere, including those in Bushey. I look forward to continuing my local visits to schools,
synagogues, temples, community groups, charities, small businesses and pubs and more. It is always a pleasure chatting to residents out and about and I look forward to seeing you all in
the near future.
What do you anticipate will be your biggest challenge?
I continue to have deep concerns about the burden being put on our green open spaces by development pressure now that the Labour government have announced massive changes to planning laws through revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework.
Almost all of Hertsmere’s undeveloped land is green belt. These changes could mean massive new development, an expansion of London sprawl and a change in the character of the area forever. I will continue to fight tooth and nail on behalf of residents to ensure our precious
green belt is protected.
I will also be continuing my work supporting our diverse community, improving public transport, and helping to secure investment in local infrastructure.
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